Shabbat

Each week we feature a different outstanding Florida Rabbi.

Torah Portion of the week:

Beshalach

Harav Yochanan Zweig
Rosh HaYeshiva, Talmudic University
Miami Beach

HEALING THE FRACTURE

"...and you shall bring up my bones..."(13:19)

The Torah tells us that when Bnei Yisroel were leaving Egypt, Moshe involved himself in the retrieval of "atzmos Yosef" - "the bones of Yosef". "Bones" would seem to be a pejorative manner in which to describe the body of a tzaddik. When the brothers stood before Yosef, unaware of the fact that he was their brother, Yehuda referred to Yaakov as Yosef's servant. The Talmud teaches that since Yosef remained silent and allowed Yehuda to speak in such a manner regarding his father, Yosef is described as "bones", even during his lifetime(2). In another statement on the same issue the Talmud relates that as a punishment for his silence, Yosef lost ten years of his life, corresponding to the ten times he heard his father being called "your slave". The Torah Temima points out that both statements are made in the name of the same sage, Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav. Therefore, there appears to be a contradiction. Why would Yosef be punished twice for the same act?

As to why Yosef was called "bones" the Torah Temima offers the following explanation: Since a corpse depicted as bones implies that decomposition has occurred, the Torah uses this term as a punishment to Yosef for his insensitivity to his father's honor. However, the Torah Temima's interpretation is difficult to understand, for in Parshas Vayechi, Yosef referred to himself as "bones". Therefore, it is impossible that the term is being used as a punishment, especially since the reference that the Talmud makes to Yosef being called "bones" in his lifetime is the occasion when he used the term to refer to himself. Furthermore, how does Yosef's being referred to as "bones" compensate for him slighting his father's honor?

According to the Talmud, a person's bones, providing the physical structure of his body, are genetically transferred to him from his father. The Hebrew word for "bone" is "etzem". The word "atzmiyus" which describes a person's sense of self has the same root word. This connection indicates that a person acquires his sense of self, his psychological structure from his father as well. This sense of self comes to a person who can define himself by his parents. A person will approach life with confidence if he has a strong sense of his roots. It is imperative that we identify positive qualities within our parents to which we ourselves can aspire, for having a strong foundation allows for our growth to endure.

Yosef's error resulted not only in a dishon or to his father, but it also reflected a chink in the manner that he defined himself. Holding his father in lower esteem indicates a flaw in himself. Therefore, when Yosef realized that he had facilitated a slight against his father by his inaction, he began referring to himself as "bones". Since his bones and, on a deeper level his very sense of self came from his father, he compensated for his inadvertent slight by defining himself completely by his father. Acting in this manner served to acknowledge that he had dishonored his father and to correct the way he defined himself.

It emerges that being called "bones" was not a punishment, rather Yosef's own manner of rectifying his insurrection. Consequently, there is no contradiction in the words of Rav Yehuda. One statement reflects Yosef's own measures and the second statement identifies his punishment.